BackgroundHemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and leptospirosis are seasonal rodent-borne infections in the Republic of Korea (Korea). The occurrences of HFRS and leptospirosis are influenced by climatic variability. However, few studies have examined the effects of local climatic variables on the development of these infections. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of climatic factors on the occurrence of HFRS and leptospirosis in Korea.MethodsDaily records on human cases of HFRS and leptospirosis between January 2001 to December 2009 were analyzed. The associations of climatic factors with these cases in high incidence provinces were estimated using the time-series method and multivariate generalized linear Poisson models with a maximal lag of 12 weeks.ResultsFrom 2001 to 2009, a total of 2912 HFRS and 889 leptospirosis cases were reported, with overall incidences of 0.67 and 0.21 cases per 100,000, respectively, in the study areas. The increase in minimum temperature (1 °C) at a lag of 11 weeks was associated with 17.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 15.1, 20.6%] and 22.7% (95% CI: 16.5, 29.3%) increases in HFRS and leptospirosis cases, respectively. A 1-h increase in the daily sunshine was related to a 27.5% (95% CI: 18.2, 37.6%) increase in HFRS at a lag of 0 week. A 1% increase in daily minimum relative humidity and a 1 mm increase in daily rainfall were associated with 4.0% (95% CI:1.8, 6.1) and 2.0% (95% CI: 1.2, 2.8%) increases in weekly leptospirosis cases at 11 and 6 weeks later, respectively. A 1 mJ/m2 increase in daily solar radiation was associated with a 13.7% (95% CI: 4.9, 23.2%) increase in leptospirosis cases, maximized at a 2-week lag.ConclusionsDuring the peak season in Korea, climatic factors play a significant role in the development of HFRS and leptospirosis. The findings of this study may be applicable to the forecasting and prediction of disease outbreaks.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-017-2506-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:Urinary tract infection is the most common bacterial infections in humans and serious health problem in many parts of the world. It has become more complicated in treatment due to different pathogens and increasing resistant to antimicrobial agents. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infection and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of pathogens among the patients attending in B & B hospital Nepal.Materials and Methods:A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in between April 2010 to March 2011. Urine samples were collected from clinically suspected patients and tested bacteriologically using standard procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for isolated pathogen using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines.Results:Out of 1260 examined specimens 25.24 % were positive and majority 61.64% were females.  The most common pathogens isolated were Escherichia coli (66.67%), Enterococcus (7.55%) and Staphylococcus (6.60 %). The drug resistant among the positive cases were reported. The highest resistant of positive cases was found with Cefexime (87.88%) and Enterococcus with Ampicillin (66.67%) and Staphyllococcus with Cloxacillin (66.67%). The highest susceptibility was for Vancomycin and Ampicillin i.e. 33.33% in each.Conclusion:The findings showed that E. coli isolates were the predominant pathogen and the presence of bacterial isolates with very high resistance to the commonly prescribed drugs. As drug resistance among bacterial pathogens is an evolving process and serious issue. Therefore, routine surveillance and monitoring studies should be conducted to provide physicians knowledge on the updated and most effective empirical treatment of UTIs. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.7(5) 2016 47-51

Pharmaceutical pictograms have the potential to play an important role in optimizing compliance in the illiterate patient population. Pictograms may improve warning comprehension for those with visual or literacy difficulties and can sometimes be recognized and recalled far better than words. The main purpose of this study is to determine whether these pictograms can be effectively understood by illiterate patients, who otherwise cannot read the instructions given on their prescription order. In this study, 10 pharmaceutical pictograms were evaluated in patients attending the outpatient department of the Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital, a multispecialty, referral hospital in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Understanding of pictograms by patients before and after interpretation was noted and follow-up interpretation was also noted. Results of the study showed that prior to explanation, the majority of the patients were unable to interpret the pictograms correctly but after explanation of their meaning, interpretation by them showed a marked improvement, indicating the need of using pictograms along with verbal reinforcement. The study also highlighted poor patient follow-up, a major cause of patient non-compliance, often leading to a poor therapeutic outcome of the prescribed medication order. Such problems can be taken care of by an active participation by healthcare professionals.

One of the most important advantages of intercropping or sowing methods is to get the highest yield on a specified area of land through using more efficient way of the available resources. Two successive winter field experiments were conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research Center (A.R.C), Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 growing seasons in a split plot design with three replications to study the effects of three different sowing methods viz. flat, terraces and rows; main plots in addition to three different mixed intercropping treatments of Egyptian clover var. Fahl with wheat (10, 15 and 20% of recommended seeding rate for Egyptian clover var. Fahl (i.e. 20 kg fed-1) with 100% of recommended seeding rate of wheat [60 kg fed-1 ]; sub plots). In addition, the two crops were sown as pure stand cultivation in a flat sowing method. Results showed that sowing method of terraces and intercropping Egyptian clover var. Fahl by 10% with 100% wheat resulted in the highest improvement of growth and yield and its components in addition to the highest crude protein content in comparison to the other sowing methods and intercropping patterns. However, the pure stand of wheat had the highest values of grain yield fed-1 and its components in comparison to intercropping treatments. The highest LER (land equivalent ratio; 1.30 and 1.29) and the highest total income (12034 and 11899 L.E.) were obtained when wheat was sown on terrace and intercropped with 10% of Egyptian clover var. Fahl in both of seasons, respectively. In conclusion, sowing method of wheat on terraces and intercropping 10% of Egyptian clover var. Fahl with wheat could be the appropriate suggestion for farmers in North Middle Nile Delta region, Egypt.

We assessed the association between climate factors and a number of aseptic meningitis cases in six metropolitan provinces of the Republic of Korea using a weekly number of cases from January 2002 to December 2012. Generalized linear quasi-Poisson models were applied to estimate the effects of climate factors on the weekly number of aseptic meningitis cases. We used generalized additive and generalized additive mixed models to assess dose–response relationships. A 1 °C increase in mean temperature was associated with an 11.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 9.6%–13.3%) increase in aseptic meningitis with a 0-week lag; a 10 mm rise in rainfall was associated with an 8.0% (95% CI: 7.2%–8.8%) increase in aseptic meningitis with a 7-week lag; and a 1 mJ/m2 increase of solar radiation was associated with a 5.8% (95% CI: 3.0%–8.7%) increase in aseptic meningitis with a 10-week lag. Nino3 showed positive effects in all lags, and its one unit increase was associated with an 18.9% (95% CI: 15.3%–22.6%) increase of aseptic meningitis at lag 9. The variability in the relationship between climate factors and aseptic meningitis could be used to initiate preventive measures for climate determinants of aseptic meningitis.

Enterovirus diseases are fecal-orally transmitted, and its transmission may be closely related with the drinking water quality and other environmental factors. This study aimed to assess the association between environmental factors including drinking water quality and the incidence of enteroviral diseases in metropolitan provinces of Korea. Using monthly number of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), aseptic meningitis (AM) and acute hemorrhage conjunctivitis (AHC) cases, generalized linear Poisson model was applied to estimate the effects of environmental factors on the monthly cases. An increase of mean temperature was associated with an increase of enteroviral diseases at 0–2 months lag, while an increase of turbidity was associated with increase in HFMD at 1 month lag and a decrease in AHC. An increase of residual chlorine in municipal drinking water was associated with a decrease in HFMD and AHC 2 and 3 months later. An increase of pH was associated with a maximum increase in AM 3 months later. The meta-analysis revealed the effects of the provincial and pooled variation in percent change of risks of environmental factors on HFMD, AM, and AHC cases at specific selected lags. This study suggests that the drinking water quality is one of the major determinants on enteroviral diseases.

The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is currently a major threat to global health in an unprecedented manner. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has affected 215 countries and territories including Nepal. Until 1st June 2020, altogether 1,811 COVID-19 positive cases were diagnosed using RT-PCR. This study aimed to analyze the status of COVID-19 cases in Nepal and South Asian countries. A retrospective study from 23rd January to 1st June 2020 was conducted using data of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal and Worldometer homepages. The primary case records during the pre and post lockdown periods were examined. Spatial distribution was observed. An exponential trend line was plotted and COVID-19 situation in South Asian countries was assessed. Of 1,811 COVID-19 cases, the highest number (38.3%) was reported in Province 2. Out of 77 districts, 59 were affected. In Fifty-eight districts, primary cases appeared during the lockdown period. The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases showed the exponential pattern of distribution in Nepal. In South Asian countries, India had the highest number of cases and case fatality rate (CFR). There were no cases of CFR in Bhutan. The Novel Coronavirus emergence in Nepal has become a serious challenge to the various sectors including public health. The emergence of primary cases even in the lockdown period needs a detailed study in the future.

Keeping in view of high prevalence of tuberculosis in far western development region in different reports, adoor to door survey of 125 household was carried out randomly in Mahendra Nagar municipality ward no13 of Kanchanpur district to pick up symptomatics suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis and find the prevalence in the target population. A total of 200 sputum specimens from 70 symptomatics within the age rangeof 10-80 years were collected and subjected to smear microscopy by Ziehl - Neelsen's method. Out of 10positive cases (14.28%), infection in males and females was 80% and 20% respectively. The infection wasfound in the productive age group 20-69. The highest prevalence was obtained in 20-29 age group (25%)followed by 40-49 (11%), 30-39 (9%), 50-59 (8%) and 60-69 (8%). The diagnostic yield of single sputumspecimen examined was insufficient in field condition, especially where the sputum positivity was low. Of thethree sputum smears examined, the early morning specimen had the best result.Key Words: Pulmonary tuberculosis, prevalence, sputum smears.